Director, Communications

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Role Overview

Director of Executive Thought Leadership Level: P4 Location: Chicago, New York, London

JLL is seeking a Director of Executive Thought Leadership to own how the firm’s most senior leaders are seen and recognized in the market. This is an individual contributor role with full ownership of the function and no direct reports. It owns the strategy and standards for executive positioning across the platforms where JLL leadership shows up: global speaking stages, earned media, owned content channels, and flagship internal forums. The role reports to and takes direction from the Head of Corporate Communications and works across the Communications Center of Excellence. The role sets the framework and governance for how JLL builds executive thought leadership, then partners with communications and marketing peers across the business to bring the strategy to life. It owns the model and the standards, and delivery happens through those partnerships. The role brings together disciplines that have historically been managed separately: organic speaking, earned media, executive owned content, internal visibility, and on-stage and on-camera performance. The role will build a single in-house capability that gives a defined cohort of senior leaders coordinated, high-quality support, and to connect that support to clear business outcomes. The person must operate comfortably in a highly matrixed global organization and carry the presence to advise and brief members of the Global Executive Board. The successful candidate will bring 7 to 10 years of relevant experience and a track record of building executive platforms inside large, matrixed organizations.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Governance

• Own the firm-wide strategy, publishing cadence, and operating framework for executive positioning across senior leadership
• Own the function’s framework and outcomes, working through communications and marketing partners across business lines and corporate functions, under the direction of the Head of Corporate Communications
• Manage the intake and selection of leaders into the program, applying a clear, criteria-based model that prioritizes the value and relevance of each leader’s perspective over seniority
• Run a regular review cycle that keeps the supported cohort current as business priorities shift
• Own prioritization of the function’s time and budget when demands compete, in agreement with the Head of Corporate Communications

Platform Strategy and Enablement

• Set the approach and standards for executive platforms across speaking, media, and owned content, and map the right targets for each leader
• Direct the pursuit of organic speaking slots at premier global stages and media outlets, for example Davos (WEF), MIPIM, FII, and Semafor, in partnership with external communications
• Oversee ghostwriting and content development, delivered through partners, so each leader’s external narrative and owned content stay joined up
• Establish on-stage, on-camera, and broadcast performance coaching so leaders show up consistently well
• Partner with the business lines and corporate functions communications leads to give leaders visibility at flagship internal forums, recognizing that internal profile shapes external profile
• Work with digital and AI teams to enable self-service tools that let the broader employee base amplify the brand at scale
• Manage external agency partners where specialist support is needed, holding them to consistent quality and reporting standards

Measurement and Impact

• Define and own a measurement framework that spans activity, quality, and business impact, replacing awareness-only reporting
• Set baselines where none exist today and define how the function’s contribution to pipeline is tracked, working with marketing operations and analytics
• Report progress to business line and corporate function communications leaders as well as senior leadership through a consistent, data-driven dashboard

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with the Brand and Content teams so all materials meet JLL’s visual identity and content standards
• Act as a trusted advisor to business line and corporate function communications leaders on how their most senior people show up in the market
• Bring an executive-positioning perspective into annual planning and OKR setting

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field
• 7 to 10 years of relevant experience in communications, executive positioning, or thought leadership, ideally within a large, matrixed organization
• Proven track record building executive thought leadership platforms and content programs for senior leaders
• Experience applying criteria-based frameworks to prioritize communications investment against business strategy
• Experience managing and optimizing external agency partnerships, with clear reporting and value standards
• Strong understanding of how earned media, owned content, and speaking work together to build reputation
• Awareness of how modern digital approaches, including AI and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), shape how corporate reputation is discovered and represented
• Advanced project management skills, with the ability to run multiple concurrent programs across teams

Personal Attributes

• Credibility and presence to advise and brief members of the Global Executive Board
• Comfortable operating as an individual contributor in a highly matrixed, global organization, delivering through influence rather than a team
• Partners effectively with communications leads across the Communications CoE
• Able to navigate competing demands calmly in high-visibility settings
• Clear communicator with diverse stakeholders, from subject matter experts to global leaders
• High level of integrity and discretion when handling sensitive information

Travel Requirements

This position will require some travel to support leaders, client events, and leadership meetings.

Location

Open. Major market with proximity to senior JLL leadership and key corporate hubs (Chicago, New York, London). This position does not provide visa sponsorship. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Estimated Compensation

123,000.00 – 178,300.00 USD per year

On-site – Chicago, IL

Location: On-site –Chicago, IL

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with matching company contributions
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental & Vision Care
• Paid parental leave at 100% of salary
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Early access to earned wages through Daily Pay

At JLL, we harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to efficiently accelerate meaningful connections between candidates and opportunities. Using AI capabilities, we analyze your application for relevant skills, experiences, and qualifications to generate valuable insights about how your unique profile aligns with the specific requirements of the role you're pursuing.

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Jones Lang LaSalle (“JLL”) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process – including the online application and/or overall selection process – you may email us at View email address on click.appcast.io. This email is only to request an accommodation. Please direct any other general recruiting inquiries to our Contact Us page > I want to work for JLL.

Pursuant to the Arizona Civil Rights Act, criminal convictions are not an absolute bar to employment. Pursuant to Illinois Law, applicants are not obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest. Pursuant to Columbia, SC ordinance, this position is subject to a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. Only job‑related convictions will be considered and will not automatically disqualify the candidate.

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For over 200 years, JLL (NYSE: JLL), a leading global commercial real estate and investment management company, has helped clients buy, build, occupy, manage and invest in a variety of commercial, industrial, hotel, residential and retail properties. A Fortune 500® company with operations in over 80 countries around the world, our employees bring the power of a global platform combined with local expertise. Driven by our purpose to shape the future of real estate for a better world, we help our clients, people and communities SEE A BRIGHTER WAYSM.

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